Thursday, August 4. 2005

Fun with GPS

My friend Don Cooke wrote a book recently published by the ESRI Press titled Fun with GPS. I wanted to review it, but since I was sort of “in on it” during the writing, that wouldn’t be right. So, I want to point out a few things about it that will hopefully make you want to read it. (This is not an unbiased review!)

The book is about the maps made when Don attached a GPS to things/people/machines/animals. It’s part “how to do it,” part “here’s what happened” and part “here are the cool people I met and activities I explored along the way.”

1. Some of the things Don tries don’t work! GPSs fail. Data is bad. Batteries die. How nice to find a “science” book where things go wrong and are documented. Further, Don tries to suggest what might have gone wrong.
2. There are great pictures of ice boats and bears and a fellow racing the Boston marathon all with their GPSs on. This is a great coffee table book.
3. It’s also a great “bathroom book.” I say that because it has short, punchy chapters that can be read in any order and can keep you entertained as long as needed.
4. It’s a neat book to read when thinking up a science fair project!
5. Don talks back to the GPS vendors via letters (including one from his cat).
6. You get a sense of the fun-loving, excited, passionate and slightly insane guy Don is!

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